WASHINGTON, D.C. – Walgreens has agreed to pay up to $350 million as part of a settlement with the federal government over allegations that the national pharmacy chain illegally filled millions of invalid opioid prescriptions.
The company was founded in Chicago and is headquartered in suburban Deerfield.
The settlement between Walgreens and the Justice Department was announced on Monday.
What we know:
Walgreens was accused of filling millions of illegal prescriptions between 2012 and 2023 in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.
The company also tried to receive federal reimbursement for the prescriptions through various federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act, according to the nationwide lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The DOJ said the settlement amount is based on Walgreens’ ability to pay and $50 million of the total is based on whether the company is sold, merged or transferred prior to 2032.
What they’re saying:
Federal officials said the lawsuit and settlement was part of combating the nationwide opioid epidemic, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people each year.
“Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”
“This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing activities.”
